Apparatus for conveying fabrics and the like



Feb. 8, 1955 F. B. MORRILL 2,701,717

APPARATUS FOR CONVEYING FABRICS AND THE LIKE Filed Nov. 10, 1949 5Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR. fi'eA/J/K 5. wee/u BY Feb. 8, 1955 F. B.MORRILL 2,701,717

APPARATUS FOR CONVEYING FABRICS AND THE LIKE Filed Nov. 10. 1949 5sheetsv-sheet 2 INVENTOR. fieA/vk 5 Moe m 1 MW. NW a 7 TOF/VEYS Feb. 8,1955 F. B. MORRILL 2,701,717

APPARATUS FOR CONVEYING FABRICS AND THE LIKE Filed Nov. 10. 1949 5Sheets-Sheet 3 fla V V 79s IN VEN TOR. Fez/WK x5 Maze/44 BY APPARATUSFOR CONVEYING FABRICS AND THE LIKE Filed Nov. 10. 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 41 IN V EN TOR. 564/106 5 Mme/u BY MWW HTTOP/VEVS Feb. 8, 1955 F. B.MORRILL APPARATUS FOR CONVEYING FABRICS AND THE LIKE 5 Sheets-Sheet 5Filed Nov. 10. 1949 INVENTOR. fem/K 5. Mame/z A BY gmhmwqbu APPARATUSFOR CONVEYING FABRICS AND THE LIKE Frank B. Morriil, North Adams, Mass,assignor to James Hunter Machine Company, North Adams, Mass, acorporation of Massachusetts Application November 10, 1949, Serial No.126,463

3 Claims. (Cl. 271--2.3)

This invention relates to transporting materials lengthwise in web orrope form under conditions which tend to change their length, as inprocessing the materials. More particularly, the invention relates to animproved apparatus for transporting such materials lengthwise whilemaintaining the material tension substantially constant.

The invention will be described, by way of example, in connection withthe processing of fabrics, since the transporting of fabrics in processhas heretofore entailed considerable difliculty due to shrinking orstretching of the fabric by the processing fluid. It will be understood,however, that the invention is not confined to the transporting offabrics.

In the commercial processing of fabrics, they are usually subjected to anumber of treatments, such as washing, dyeing, bleaching, drying, andthe like. To meet the demands of modern production techniques, it isdesirable to move a web or rope of the fabric continuously at high speedthrough a container Where it is subjected to the treating fluid, whichmay be in liquid or gaseous form. Accordingly, it has been proposed topass the fabric web or rope over a series of upper and lower rolls as itmoves through the fluid container, the fabric being pulled through thecontainer by nip rolls at the outlet end of the container. However, thehandling of fabrics in this manner has presented a serious problembecause the changes in length of the fabric, due to shrinking orstretching by the fluid action, tend to cause wide variations inthe'tension of the fabric moving over the rolls, and the tension maybecome sufficient to damage the fabric. As the fabric progresses throughthe fluid container, there is generally considerable variation in therate (and sometimes even in the direction) of change in its length dueto the fluid, and the problem is further aggravated by the fact thatdifferent fabrics will react differently to the fluid, in regard to theamount and rate of shrinking or stretchmg.

It has been attempted heretofore, in various ways, to prevent thetension from becoming great enough to harm the fabric as it is movedthrough the fluid. For example, the upper or lower rolls, or both, havebeen driven at about the same peripheral speed as the nip rolls, or thelower rolls have been driven as a substantially greater peripheral speedthan the nip rolls. Also, efforts have been made to compensate forexcessive tension by using movable rolls which shift from one locationto another upon change in tension. The results of these attempts haveleft much to be desired, largely because they fail to meet one or moreof the requirements that (l) the system should be capable of handlingdifferent types of fabrics, from the delicate ones to the strong ones;(2) compensation should be provided for both general and local changesin length or tension and for different rates of local change, to preventexcessive tension at any point; (3) the fabric should be moved smoothlyand evenly through the fluid and at high speed, if desired; and (4) thesystem should be free of complicated devices.

The present invention, therefore, has for its principal object theprovision of an improved apparatus for transporting fabrics lengthwiseand which fulfills these require- ;nents more completely than has beenpossible heretoore.

Another object is to provide an improved apparatus of the characterdescribed, in which the fabric tension is maintained substantiallyuniform throughout all parts of the fabric being transported, regardlessof variations in nited States Patent 0 ice the amount or rate ofstretching or shrinking at different parts of the fabric.

A further object is to provide an improved apparatus of the characterdescribed which is of simple construction and readily adjustable to varythe operating tension on the fabric, such tension otherwise beingmaintained substantially constant.

An apparatus made according to the invention comprises a resilienttransport roll having a yieldable periphery engaging the fabric to moveit continuously from a fabric supply point to a fabric delivery point,the roll being rotatable about a fixed axis to transport the fabricpartly around the axis on its way to the delivery point. The resilientroll is driven at a contsant angular speed but is deformable at itsperiphery from a maximum radius to a minimum radius by tension in thefabric, whereby the peripheral speed of the roll varies inversely withthe fabric tension. This characteristic of the roll is preferablyprovided by elastic members extending across a circumferential groove inthe roll and forming the fabricengaging periphery, or by spring fingersmounted on the roll with their free ends forming the periphery. Theresilient transport roll coacts with means for feeding the fabric fromthe supply point to the roll at a linear speed less than the peripheralspeed of the roll at its maximum radius but greater than the peripheralspeed of the roll at its minimum radius. Consequently, the fabrdic isnormally maintained under a relatively small tension as it passesbetween the feeding means and the transport roll, this normal tensionbeing of a magnitude suflicient only to compress the roll radius to thepoint where its peripheral speed is equal to the linear speed at whichthe fabric is fed by the feeding means. However, if the fabric shouldstretch and thereby tend to relieve its tension as it moves between thefeeding means and the transport roll, the resilient periphery of theroll will increase in radius and therefore in peripheral speed, so as tomaintain the tension substantially constant; and, conversely, if thefabric should shrink and thereby tend to increase its tension as itmoves between the feeding means and the transport roll, the radius andtherefore the peripheral speed of the roll will decrease so as tomaintain a substantially constant tension.

When the fabric is to be moved continuously through a treating fluid ina container, the apparatus in its preferred form comprises a series ofresilient transport rolls, each having a yielding periphery fortransporting the fabric partly around the roll axis as previouslydescribed; and the fabric is arranged to extend from one roll to thenext roll by way of an intermediate guide roller, so that the fabricpasses through the fluid in a series of loops on the rolls. Thetransport rolls are driven at a constant angular speed which is suchthat the peripheral speed of each transport roll at maximum radius isgreater but at minimum radius is less than the linear speed at which thefabric is fed from the feeding means to the first transport roll,thereby providing the normal tension previously mentioned. Since eachtransport roll is variable in radius independently of the others, anylocal stretching or shrinking of the fabric as it passes between anytransport roll and a guide roller will be quickly counteracted by achange in the roll radius and peripheral speed, without impairing theability of the other rolls to self-adjust their radii and peripheralspeeds in accordance with tension changes in other parts of the fabric.Thus. if the fabric should undergo, for example, first a suddenshrinking and then a gradual stretching as it progresses through thefluid container, the resilient roll or rolls first engaging the fabricwill be deformed to a subnormal radius approaching the minimum radius,while the radii of the subsequent rolls will increase from thissubnormal radius, in steps from one roll to the next. The normal tensionin the fabric may be adjusted by varying the angular speed at which theresilient rolls are driven, relative to the linear feeding speed of thefabric. 1

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to theaccompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view ofone form of the new apparatus, showing part of the apparatusschematically;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged front view of the resilient rolls illustrated inFigs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 IS a sectional view on the line 4-4 in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a schematic view of part of the apparatus, illustrating amodified form of the feeding means for the fabric;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of another form of the apparatus;

dFig. 7 is a sectional view on the line 7-7 in Fig. 6; an

Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectional view of one of the resilient rollsillustrated in Figs. 6 and 7.

Referring to Figs. 1 through 4, the apparatus as there shown is arrangedto feed the fabric F continuously through a container 10 which is filledwith water or other liquid to a level A, to wash or otherwise treat thefabric. A shaft 11 extends across the open top of the container and isrotatably mounted in bearings 12 at opposite sides of the container. Theshaft 11 is provided with a series of resilient rolls 13 which rotatewith the shaft. Each roll 13 includes a pair of axially spaced flanges13a, which are rigid, fixed to the shaft to form a circumferentialgroove around the shaft, and circumferentially spaced members 13b ofrubber or other elastic material extending across the groove between theflanges 13a. The flanges 13a are each provided with a series ofcircumferentially spaced key-shaped openings, the outer parts 13c ofwhich are substantially larger than the inner parts 13d (Fig. 4). Theelastic members have at each end a head 132 small enough to be insertedthrough the outer part 130 of an opening but larger than the inner part13d, which receives the narrow or shank part of the member 13b. Thus,the elastic members can be readily assembled on the flanges so that eachmember extends through the smaller parts 130. of opposed openings in apair of adjacent flanges, where they are held under an initial tensionby the heads 13:: outside the openings. Each of the flanges 13a betweenthe two end flanges has twice as many openings 13c-13d as an end flange,and alternate openings in each intermediate flange receive the elasticmembers 13b of one of the rolls 13, while the other openings receive theelastic members of an adjacent roll 13. Accordingly, each intermediateflange forms part of two adjacent rolls.

It will be understood that each of the rolls 13 has a resilient oryieldable periphery formed by the elastic members 13b. When thesemembers are straight or unflexed (Fig. 3), they provide the rollperiphery with a maximum radius. However, any part of the periphery ofeach roli is yieldable independently of the other rolls by flexing oneor more of its elastic members inwardly as far as possible (to maximumtension) toward the shaft 11. The rolls 13 have equal maximum radii, andthey have uniform resistance to reduction in radius by stretching of theelastic members 13b.

An idler roller 15 is mounted in the container 10 below the level A ofthe liquid therein, where it is rotatable in bearings 16. The fabric F,which is shown in the form of a rope or narrow web, is continuously fedinto one end of the container from a supply point at constant speed, byfeeding means which comprise a pair of nip rolls 17, 17a. From the nipor feed rolls, the fabric passes partly around the first resilient roll13, then downward into the liquid and under and partly around the roller15, then upward from the liquid and over and partly around the secondresilient roll 13, and so on successively around the idler roller andthe remaining re silient rolls 13. The fabric is therefore supported ina series of loops forming a spiral in the container, with the lowerparts of the loops immersed in the liquid. From the last roll 13, thefabric extends upwardly and outwardly over another resilient roll 18similar to the rolls 13, and from the roll 18 the fabric descends to adelivery point outside the container. Between the resilient rolls 13 andthe idler roller 15 is a cross piece 19 having a series of stationarypins 20 for guiding each loop over the central part of one of theresilient rolls 13.

The means for feeding the fabric to the first resilient roll 13 comprisethe nip rolls 17-17a and a constant speed motor 22 connected by a chain23 to a sprocket wheel 23:: on one of the nip rolls, such as the lowerroll 17a. The resilient rolls 13 are driven by means comprising a motor24 connected through a chain 25 to a sprocket wheel '26 on one end ofshaft 11. The speeds of the motors 22 and 24 are so related that thelinear speed at which the fabric F is fed from the rolls 1717a is lessthan the peripheral speed of each roll 13 at maximum radius but greaterthan the peripheral speed of each roll 13 at minimum radius. Thus, thenip rolls 17-17a and the motor 22 constitute a retarding device engagingthe fabric in advance of the resilient rolls 13 and limiting the feedingof the fabric as aforesaid. On the opposite end of the shaft is asprocket wheel 27 connected through a chain 28 to a sprocket wheel 29for driving the resilient delivery roll 18.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows. Let it be assumed thatthere is no stretching or shrinking of any part of the fabric passingfrom the feed rolls 17-17a to the delivery roll 18, as when there is nofluid in the container 10. In that case, the periphery of each transportroll 13 where it engages the fabric F in an arc will be reduced, by thefabric tension, from the maximum radius to a radius at which theperipheral speed of the roll is equal to the linear speed at which thefabric is fed from the feed rolls 1717a. Thus, the rolls 13 will bedistorted to intermediate radii at the regions where the fabric passesover them while the rolls are driven, the intermediate radii of theseveral rolls 13 being equal when there is uniform tension throughoutthe fabric. This condition is illustrated in Fig. l, where the upperperipheral parts of alternate rolls 13 appear at a different radius thanthe other rolls 13 only because of the staggered relation of the elasticperipheral members 1311 on adjacent rolls (Figs. 3 and 4). Actually, theaverage radius of each roll 13 where it engages the fabric, as shown inFig. 1, is the same for all the rolls 13. The tension at which thefabric is conveyed through the container 10 under this assumed conditionmay be referred to as the normal operating tension, and its magnitudewill depend upon the extent ,to which the peripheral speed of the rolls13 at maximum radius exceeds the linear feeding speed of the fabric fromthe rolls 1717a, and also upon the resistance of the peripheral members13b to stretching. By providing the motor 24 with a speed control (notshown), the normal operating tension may be readily adjusted to suit thecharacteristics of the particular fabric being processed. This tensionmay also be adjusted by varying the speed of the feed motor 22, althoughit is generally desirable to maintain a feeding speed from the rolls1717a equal to the speed of the fabric at a prior stage in itsprocessing.

Considering now the case where the fabric undergoes variations in lengthdue to its reaction to the fluid in the bottom of the container, suchvariations will automatically adjust the radii of the transport rolls 13by the attendant changes in fabric tension, and the resulting increaseor decrease in the peripheral speeds of these rolls has the effect ofcounteracting the changes in fabric tension. Because each roll 13 canassume a radius different from the others, it can respond to localchanges in the length of the corresponding loop of the fabric, whileleaving the other rolls 13 free to respond to changes in the lengths ofthe other loops. Assuming that there is no slippage between the fabricand the rolls 13 (an assumption which is justified by reason of thestrong frictional grip between the fabric and the elastic members 131)),the effective radius and therefore the peripheral speed of any roll 13is determined by the tension in the fabric as it approaches the roll andnot by the tension in the fabric leaving the roll. Consequently, uponincrease in the length of the fabric in any loop between two adjacentrolls 13, the tension in the loop will tend to decrease and allow theleading roll 13 to expand toward its maximum radius, thereby increasingits peripheral speed and drawing the fabric at a higher speed from theloop. The effect of this is to counteract the increase in the looplength by drawing the fabric from the loop at a greater speed than it isfed to the loop by the lagging roll, so as to maintain the tensionsubstantially constant. Conversely, shrinking of the fabric in any loopbetween two adjacent rolls 13 causes a selfadjustment of the radius ofthe leading roll by the resulting increase in tension, so that theleading roll decreases sufficiently in radius and peripheral speed toWithdraw fabric from the loop at a lower speed than it is fed to theloop by the lagging roll.

if it is assumed, for example, that the reaction of the fabric to thetreating fluid causes a gradual shrinking as the fabric passes betweenthe first and third rolls 13, and then a gradual stretching to a lengthless than its initial length as the fabric passes over the remainingrolls, the action will be as follows: The first three rolls 13 willassume radii less than the intermediate radii at the normal operatingtension previously mentioned, due to the gradual shrinkage and thetendency to increase the tension. Consequently, the fabric path betweeneach pair of these rolls 13 is shortened by an amount substantiallyequal to the amount of shrinkage of the fabric passing between suchpair, and the peripheral speed of the third roll 13 is decreased to thepoint where it draws the fabric at a speed sufliciently lower than theconstant feeding speed to substantially compensate for the overallshrinkage. In the third loop, immediately beyond the third roll 13,there will be a tendency for the fabric tension to decrease due to theinitial stretching, and an opposing tendency for the tension to increasedue to the reduced speed at which the fabric is moved by the third roll.The unbalance, if any, of these opposing tendencies is substantiallyneutralized by the fourth roll 13, which adjusts its radius to maintainapproximately constant tension in the loop. The subsequent rolls 13 willassume radii which gradually increase, from one roll to the next, due tothe gradual stretching of the fabric. However, the radii of thesesubsequent rolls 13 will be less than the intermediate radius at thenormal tension previously mentioned, since it is assumed that the fabricdoes not stretch back to its initial length.

It will be apparent that by reason of the resilient rolls 13 and theaforementioned relation between the speeds of the motors 22 and 24, thefabric is fed continuously and smoothly through the treating fluidwithout any substantial changes in the desired tension of the fabric,and regardless of variations in the amount or rate of change in thelength of the fabric due to shrinking or stretching, locally orgenerally. Accordingly, the apparatus may be used for all types offabrics, irrespective of differences in their reaction to the treatingfluid in regard to shrinking and stretching. Moreover, with the newapparatus there is no possibility of the fabric wrapping itself aroundone or more of the rolls, as occurs in some of the prior machines forconveying fabrics.

The means for feeding the fabric F into the container at constant linearspeed may take other forms than that illustrated. For example, thefeeding means may comprise, in conjunction with the transport rolls 13,two or more tension bars 30-3011, the fabric passing partly around thefirst bar 30a, and then backward and partly around the second bar 30,from which it passes to the first transport roll 13, as shown in Fig. 5.The tension bars 30-30a impose a frictional resistance to movement ofthe fabric by the transport rolls 13, and this resistance is sufficientto distort the peripheries of the rolls 13 from their maximum radii tointermediate radii, thereby providing the normal operating tensionpreviously mentioned. The speed at which the cloth enters the containeris a function of the setting of the tension bars and the pull exerted bythe rolls 13 in drawing the fabric past the tension bars.

The apparatus illustrated in Figs. 1 through 4 is intended primarily forconveying fabrics which are in the form of a rope or narrow web. When itis desired to convey a wide length of fabric, the apparatus may take theform illustrated in Figs. 6, 7 and 8. As there shown, the apparatuscomprises a container 31 for the treating fluid, which may be a liquidfilling the container to the level A. Rotatably mounted at the open topof the container is a series of resilient transport rolls 32 whichextend in parallel spaced relation across the container. The rolls 32are provided at their ends with shafts 33 held in suitable bearings (notshown) on the sides of the container. Each roll 32 has a number oflongitudinally extending, fiat surfaces to which fingers or projections32a are secured. The fingers 32a are made of spring metal and extendgenerally tangentially in the direction opposite to the direction ofrotation of the roll. At their free ends, the spring fingers are bent atan angle away from the direction of rotation, as shown at 32b (Fig. 8).The free ends of the fingers 32a constitute resilient or yieldableperipheries of the respective rolls, and they are adapted to flex, asshown in dotted lines in Fig. 8, to vary the radius of the rolls from amaximum radius, at which the fingers are straight, to a minimum radiusat which the free end portions of the fingers are flexed inwardly as faras possible toward the roll axis.

Below the resilient transport rolls 32 are idler or guide rolls 33arotatably mounted in the container near the bottom, that is, below theliquid level A. The fabric F is fed at constant linear speed into oneend of the container by feed means comprising a pair of nip rolls34-3451. The fabric passes from the rolls 34-34a downward into theliquid, then under and partly around the first idler roll 33a, thenupwardly from the liquid and over and partly around the first resilientroll 32, and so on alternately to the next idler roll and the nextresilient roll. Thus, the fabric is supported in a series of loops inthe container, with the lower parts of the loops immersed in the liquid.'From the last idler roll 33a, the fabric passes upwardly from thecontainer and over another resilient roll 35, from which the fabricdescends to a delivery point outside the container.

The feeding means for the fabric comprise the nip rolls 3434a and aconstant speed motor 36 connected through a driving chain 37 to one ofthe nip rolls. The resilient transport rolls 32 are rotated by drivingmeans comprising a constant speed motor 38 connected to each of theserolls through driving chains 39, 39a, 39b and 39c. As in the embodimentof the invention first described, the speeds of the motors 36 and 38 areso related that the peripheral speed of each roll 32 at maximum radiusis greater than the feeding speed of the fabric from the rolls 34-34a,but the peripheral speed of each roll 32 at minimum-radius is less thanthis feeding speed.

The operation of this form of the apparatus will be readily understoodfrom the previous description in connection with Figs. 1 through 4.

I claim:

1. In an apparatus for transporting a length of material from a supplypoint to a delivery point, the combination of a rotatable shaft, aplurality of axially spaced flanges secured to the shaft and rotatabletherewith, and circumferentially spaced elastic members extendingbetween and secured to each pair of adjacent flanges and forming ayielding roll periphery, the elastic members between each pair offlanges being anchored at their ends to the flanges under initialtension and being yieldable independently of the members between theother flanges, to decrease the radius of said periphery.

2. A combination according to claim 1, in which each flange between thetwo end flanges supports the elastic members of two adjacent rollperipheries.

3. The combination according to claim 1, comprising also means fordriving said shaft, and an idler roller spaced from the shaft, saidroller and elastic members being operable to support said material in aseries of loops.

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